The suicide of a young man “cancelled” by his peers at university has prompted a coroner to write to the government warning about “self-policing” among some students.
Alexander Rogers, 20, was in his third year studying at the University of Oxford’s Corpus Christi College when he took his own life in January.
Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Graham said Mr Rogers had been “ostracised” in the preceding days after a woman expressed discomfort about a sexual encounter between the pair.
In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, external, the coroner urged the Department for Education to take action to stop similar deaths occurring related to the harmful effects of being socially ostracised.
He said Mr Rogers had reported being subjected to “name calling, targeted behaviour and exclusion and rejection following allegations made against him about his conduct”.
Corpus Christi College commissioned an independent serious incident review following the death.
“That review identified evidence of a concerning practice of social ostracism among students, often referred to as a cancel culture,” the coroner said.
“[The review’s] evidence was that this behaviour, where individuals are isolated and excluded from social groups based on allegations or perceptions of wrongdoing, poses a significant risk to student mental health and well-being.”
He said students “appear to employ social ostracism as a means of ‘self-policing’ their community, often in response to allegations of serious misconduct”.
“This occurs in the absence of formal processes and without proper investigation or evidence,” Mr Graham said.
‘Seismic loss’
Mr Graham added: “I did not find on the balance of probabilities that this culture specifically caused or contributed to Alexander’s death, but it did give rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of future deaths could occur.”
Mr Rogers’ family have been raising money for suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS.
In a tribute on a fundraising page, they said: “The loss of Zander has been seismic.
“He was and is the epitome of what is good in this world; kind, warm, funny, and an incredible friend to so many.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with Alexander’s loved ones.
“It is essential that students have access to the mental health support they deserve and that universities take all necessary steps to prevent suicides.
“We will be working closely with the coroner, the higher education sector and suicide experts, to ensure that lessons from this case inform our ongoing efforts to support student welfare.